Dry Shampoo: What Is It And How Does It Work?

Every once in a while, a hair product comes along and changes your life! Or at least your styling routine. For many women, dry shampoo has been that product.

Hairstylists agree that dry shampoo, while not a complete replacement for washing your hair, can be an asset to both men and women with hair of all colors and textures.

What is dry shampoo?

Simply put, dry shampoo is a powder or spray that provides a water-free option for cleansing and styling your hair. Dry shampoo works because alcohol and/or starch in the product soaks up excess oil and grease in your hair, giving it a cleaner, fresher appearance.

Reasons to use dry shampoo:

To stretch out a blow-out: You invest in a beautiful styling service and of course you want it to last as long as possible before shampooing. You can easily add a few days to your blow-out with dry shampoo.

To stretch the time between standard shampoos: Check out How Often Should I Wash My Hair? To learn why frequent shampooing can strip moisture from certain hair types. Dry shampoo allows you to go longer without oily roots.

To add volume and/or texture: Dry shampoo can give your hair a real boost. Spray throughout your hair and grab your brush and blow dryer to liven up droopy waves or curls. Apply it directly to your roots to add volume and fullness. It can also create much needed pliability if you want to try a textured bun or braid.

To eliminate odor: Let’s get real, sometimes we just need a pleasant fragrance to refresh our hair.

The truth is there are many reasons to use dry shampoo but be careful, some brands contain harsh ingredients that can irritate your scalp and work against you. With such a wide range of options available, choosing a dry shampoo that's friendly on both the scalp and wallet can be difficult.

Here are three recommendations that will nourish and cleanse your scalp while absorbing excess oils:

Hask Charcoal with Citrus Purifying Dry Shampoo

Charcoal has quickly become one of the most popular ingredients in the beauty industry and for a good reason. With natural cleansing properties, charcoal can help not only clean your hair but help keep it healthy.

Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Powder/Dry Shampoo

This blend of cornstarch, clay, baking soda, rice powder, and organic horsetail powder also has hints of essentials oils (lavender and clary sage) for a refreshing, natural scent that feigns freshly washed hair.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

Powered by Living Proof's Triple-Action Cleaning Technology - Fast-absorbing powders soak up oil and sweat while their patented Healthy Hair Molecule helps you remove the powders easily from hair, resulting in actually clean hair. Odor neutralizers and time released fragrance keep hair smelling clean.

Stylist note: The best way to extend the life of any hairstyle is to stop touching your hair — we repeat — do not touch your hair. Even if you have applied dry shampoo, the natural oils in your fingertips will only make your hair greasy again.